Poor circulation in a limb often gives rise to symptoms such as muscle cramping, pain or discomfort, and the like. Such symptoms may be signs of peripheral vascular disease (PVD). The prevalence of PVD varies considerably depending on the age of the population being studied. The incidence of symptomatic PVD increases with age from about 0.3% per year for men aged 40-55 years to about 1% per year for men aged over 75 years. Normally, PVD is assessed using sophisticated tests involving ultrasound imaging, magnetic resonance angiogram, computer tomography (CT) angiogram, or a catheter-based angiogram. Diagnosis is critical, as people with PVD are at a higher risk for tissue necrosis including heart attack and/or stroke. The present invention is directed towards assessing PVD and the progression of PVD for future times.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for assessing whether a subject of interest has peripheral vascular disease from a thermal image captured using a thermal imaging system.